Domestic washing machine construction



July 6, 1943.

s. E. SCHRQEDER 2,323,571 DOMESTIC WASHING MACHINE' CONSTRUCTION Filed D66. 31, 1940- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 6, 1943- s. E. S.CHROEDER 2,323,571

DOMESTIC WASHING MACHINE CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 31, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 inim. .2 I

fizz/6122592 filgg oiiflzscizroeder' including a round bottom base casting IS. The

Patented July 6, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DOMESTIC WASHING MACHINE CONSTRUCTION V Simon E. Schroeder, Ripon, Wis.,a ssignor'to Barlow & Seelig Manufacturing Company, Ripon,

is., a corporation of Delaware. Application December 31, 1940. Serial No. 372,547

5 Claims.

moving parts to the stationar ture of the chassis or to the tub Another object of the invention is to provide in'a washing machine of this kind an improved supporting or supporting legs as to distribution of weight.

ly from sheet metal.

Other objects and advantageswill become apparent in the following description and from the" Fig. 3 is a horizontalsectional view through 3 the machine taken substantially along line 3-3 01 Fig. l, and showing the cross framework of the chassis in plan.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 01' Fig- 3..

For illustrative purposes the drawings show a domestic washing machine of the double wall type tub l mounted within Generally described. annular wall or skirt an enclosing chassis H. the chassis II includes an l2 supported by four equidistant, hollow legs 43 secured thereto which extend well up along the skirt. The tub l0 may be held in place on the chassis H by the engagement of an outwardly turned rim flange l4 thereon over the upper edge of the skirt l2, and by supporting its bottom wall upon a central base casting l5 which is carried by a framework or spider structure l6 having its arms attached to the skirt. An agitator I1 is mounted within the tub in upon a shaft i8 projecting centrally through the tub and the A further object of the invention is to provide.

' I an means for driving the aglchassis structure which includes a member 24 is of a preferably full vertical closes the opening.

transmission 'mechanism contained within a housing2l. anuallyoperable .control means 22 may be provided for actuating an agitator clutch (not shown). A drain 23 may communicate with the tub l0 through the base casting l5.

According to the present invention,'.the spider supported by the skirt l2 preferably in'line with the legs l3. One spider member, herein the member24, carries the transmission housing 2| which is secured to the underface of one arm. The other spider member 25 has the motor 19 suspended from one of its arms. v

The transmission-carrying arm of thespider length to extend through a I opening 21in the skirt l2 and into one of the le'gs.l3 which connects the skirt. at the opposite sides 01 the opening and This leg houses a, wringer driveshaft 28 and the connectionthereoi with flange of an angular I g the skirt l2 across the opening 21 (Figs. land 2).

arm or end of the spider member The transmission-carrying V 24 is relatively by means of spaced bolt 29 the transmission.

wide and is secured to the under side.

the spider member 24 as well carried upon to brackets 32 of channel 32 are mounted in aperand secured by bolts 3| shape. These brackets .iect partially inwardly under the endsv oithe spider members and partially into the adjacent legs I 3 which conceal them from view. These brackets 32 are secured in place by so proportioning the apertures 33 that the upper edges defining the same will seat the side flanges of the brackets,'and by securing the side flanges to wings 35 extending inwardly at each side of each aperture.

vAs may be seen in Fig. 3, the longitudinal dimensions of the spider members 24 and 25 are so proportioned relative to the internal diameter of the skirt l2 that the members may easily and quickly be assembled in the chassis. Stated another way, the spider member 25 is no longer than the internal diameter of the skirt and the spider member 24 onlysexceeds this dimensionin the length of .the transmission-carrying arm portion thereof. Since, the spider members lie on diarectly under and equally support the base casting (Figs. 3 and 4), and proin notches 34 (Fig. 1) in 'vides for substantially uniform l5 and the tub. Through this arrangement, moreover, a well balanced relationship is attained in the chassis, and the various parts of the load carried by the spider l6 are substantially evenly divided between the crossed spider members to distribute the entire load uniformly to the four legs of the chassis.

A feature of the invention resides in the improved manner in which both the tub l and the skirt 12 are insulated against operation induced vibrations. Since the spider 16 carries the main operating parts, it is the source of practically all vibration; and to prevent transmission of such vibration to the tub a resilient vibration dampener such as rubber disks or gaskets 39 may be interposed between the bottom of the tub l0 and the top of the base casting I (Fig. 1). In addition a resilient member such as a rubber gasket 40 may be interposed between the rim flange skirt l2. v v

However, the points at which vibration is most likely to be transmitted is at the connections between the ends of the spider members 24 and and the skirt l2. Accordingly, resilient vibration dampeners such as rubber pads 41 are interposed between .the ends of the spider members and the respective supporting brackets and 32. The rubber pads M in each instance he upon the brackets, and those upon the bracket 30 are backed by compression plates or washer disks 42 on which the hanger bolts 29 bear. Those pads ll which are carried by the brackets 32 are directly engaged and maintained under compression by the ends of the spider members resting thereon. Additional anti-vibration pads 43 lie between the lower faces of the brackets 30 and 12 and compression disks M which are held in place by the respective attachment bolts.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention provides a domestic washing machine structure which is simple in construction and easy to assemble, and which attains, through the use of a sheet ments are assembled as a unit, a substantial reduction in weight without sacrifice in strength. The improved chassis arrangement, and in particular the crossed frame or spider structure prodistribution of weight throughout the chassis. In addition the improved vibration dampening means between the tub, the spider and the skirt of the chassis eliminates noise and rattling or jarring from vibration created by the driving means carried upon the spider.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination in a washing machine of the character described, including a tub, a skirt surrounding said tub and having equal y spaced hollow legs in support thereof extending substantially up its outer face, a framework under said tub comprising crossed elongated members having the ends thereof alined with said legs, and brackets for supporting the ends of said frame members projecting from within said legs through said skirt into overlapping relation to said ends.

2 In a domestic washing machine of the type embodying a stationary tub, an agitator in said tub, means for actuating said agitator including a transmission mechanism, the combination of a skirt surrounding said tub, a plurality of hollow M of the tub and the top edge of the metal supporting spider on which all of the machine driving eleshaft with the transmission,

legs supporting said skirt and extending up the outer face thereof, one of said legs being adapted to house a wringer drive shaft therein, a spider structure at least partially supporting said tub and comprising a plurality of members extending toward said skirt in alinement with said legs, said skirt having on opening in register with said one leg, one of said members being adapted to support said transmission and extending through said opening to permit connection of said wringer a bracket on said skirt across said opening for supporting the transmission-carrying arm of the spider, and brackets concealed within the remaining legs and extending through said skirt for supporting the remaining arms of said spider.

3. In combination in a washing machine of the character described, including a tub, a skirt surrounding said "tub and having spaced hollow legs in support thereof extending substantially up its outer face, a framework under said tub comprising crossed, elongated members having the ends thereof alined with said legs, brackets for supporting the ends of said frame members projecting from within said legs through said skirt into underlying relation with said ends, vibration dampening means interposed between said brackets and said ends, securing bolts extending through said brackets and said ends, and vibration dampening means interposed between the under sides of said brackets and the lower ends of said securing bolts.

4. In combination in a washing machine 01' the character described, including a tub, a skirt surrounding said tub, a plurality of hollow legs supporting said skirt and extending up the outer face thereof, one of said legs being adapted to house a wringer drive shaft therein, a framework under said tub comprising a plurality of members extending toward said skirt in alinement with said legs, said skirt having an opening in register with said one leg, one of said members being adapted to support a transmission and extending through said opening to permit connection of said wringer shaft with said transmission, a bracket on said skirt across said opening for supporting the transmission carrying member of said framework, a tension bolt extending through said bracket and said one member, vibration dampening means interposed between said bracket and said one member, vibration dampening means interposed between said bracket and the upper end of said bolt, and means housed by the others of said legs extending through said skirt into supporting engagement with the portions of said members alined therewith. v

5. In combination in a washing machine of the character described, including a tub, a skirt surrounding said tub and having four spaced hollow legs in support thereof extending substantially up its outer face, a framework under said tub comprising a pair of crossed elongated members having the ends thereof alined with said legs, three of said ends stopping short of said skirt,

brackets projecting from within said legs through said skirt into overlapping relation with said ends and supporting the ends of said frame member, and an opening formed in said skirt for the reception of the fourth end during assembly.

SIMON SCI-IROEDER. 

